South Sudan was not institutionless in 2011; it was governed through inherited systems that outsiders misread. Independence changed formal status, not the underlying distribution of revenue and coercive power—leaving state-building efforts exposed to predictable blind spots.
Congo‑Brazzaville’s defining feature is not volatility but stasis: political continuity has stabilised the state while limiting institutional depth and economic transformation. With oil dominance, persistent execution gaps, and debt management fragilities, stability risks becoming an end in itself. This note outlines why the country lacks a development trajectory—and what DFIs and sovereign partners should prioritise.
South Sudan became sovereign quickly, but a state is built slowly: through payroll control, cash management, reporting, procurement, and enforceable rules. Without administrative gravity, political milestones become theatre rather than consolidation.
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